​My primary research interest is understanding the factors that shape technological change, with a particular focus on transitioning to environmentally sustainable, energy-saving technologies. Within this broader category, I study consumer preferences and market demand for new technologies as well as relationships between firm innovation, industry structure, and technology policy. My PhD Dissertation explores these themes in China's electric vehicle industry. I take an interdisciplinary methodological approach, applying both quantitative methods, such as discrete choice modeling and conjoint analysis, and qualitative / mixed methods, such as interview-based case studies. I speak fluent Mandarin Chinese and have conducted extensive fieldwork in China, collaborating with colleagues at Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, and the State Information Center on past projects.​

China & 中文

I began studying Chinese during my second year as an undergraduate engineering student at Virginia Tech in the fall of 2006. The next spring, I received the Horton Scholarship, which provided a unique opportunity to travel to China and complete an educational project of my own design. I traveled to Dalian in the summer of 2008 to study language and culture at Liaoning Normal University, then I moved to Shanghai in the fall to gain international engineering experience as an intern in General Electric's Advanced Wind Turbine Operations division. The project opened my eyes to the many forces that shape the adoption of emerging technologies, in particular the importance of policy and economics. After returning to the U.S., I was awarded a Critical Language Scholarship by the U.S. Department of State to study Chinese in Harbin, China during the summer of 2009, and I have since returned to China numerous times for work or research, including an internship at the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) and as a 2014 East Asia Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) Fellow supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Today, I continue to use my language skills and experience in China while conducting interdisciplinary research in China.

Swing Dancing

Many of my closest friend know me first and foremost as a dancer. In the fall of 2006, I attended my first swing dance hosted by the Virginia Tech Swing Club Soley Swing, and swing dancing quickly became a major part of my life. Today, I travel to dances events all over the world. I dance Lindy Hop, Balboa, Blues, and Charleston, and my dancing adventures have brought me to cities all over the world, including New York, Montreal, Boston, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Pusan, Osaka, Taipei, and even on the Great Wall of China. Sharing the joy of swing dancing with friends and strangers all over the world is one of my greatest passions. I have competed internationally as a dancer, and my most accomplished achievement is winning 1st place in the Open Strictly Lindy Hop competition with my good friend Annabel Truesdell Quisao at the 2011 International Lindy Hop Championship in Washington, D.C. You can see more on my dance page.

I plan to continually update this website as I travel around the world and encounter new experiences. Please enjoy my site and I am grateful for any feedback you may have.

Cheers,John (章乐汉)

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